Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities And Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Richmond Power & Light board elects officers, approves $7.14 million in bills and hears coal-ash remediation update
Summary
At its Jan. 5 special meeting, Richmond Power & Light elected Doug Goss chair and Jane Bumbleaux vice chair, approved $7,144,262.92 in bills, adopted a salary resolution and heard General Manager Tony Foster outline 2026 priorities including a CCR (coal ash) remediation plan under IDEM review and coordination with IMPA; work is contingent on permits and bonding.
Richmond Power & Light’s board convened Jan. 5 and completed organizational business, approved a large set of bills and received a detailed operational briefing from General Manager Tony Foster.
Officer elections and finance actions: The board elected Doug Goss as chair and Jane Bumbleaux as vice chair for 2026 by roll call. The finance committee moved to approve P&L bills totaling $7,144,262.92; the board voted to approve that payment on voice/roll call.
Salary resolution: The board considered and approved Resolution 1-20-26, a salary resolution that includes competitive pay adjustments for staff (the resolution noted Tony Foster’s compensation as part of the packet discussion). The resolution passed by roll call vote with all members recorded as voting in favor.
General manager report and CCR project: GM Tony Foster gave an extended report of P&L priorities for 2026. Foster said four employees have announced retirements this year, representing a combined 138 years of service, and that a rate study is underway with consultants to address capital needs over the next decade. He provided an update on the coal combustion residuals (CCR) remediation project: a remediation plan was submitted to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) in August 2023 and is now in technical review; federal guidelines set an April 2028 completion date. Foster described coordination needs with Richmond Sanitary District and with the Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA) over stormwater permitting and noted small parcel acquisitions and rezoning needed to facilitate construction; he said the board will be asked to refer rezoning to the plan commission in the near future.
IMPA relationship and fuel mix: Foster explained IMPA’s role (Indiana Municipal Power Agency), including shared generation and transmission arrangements. He presented IMPA’s 2024 energy mix as described in material (coal ~51.7%, nuclear ~21%, natural gas ~15.2% and renewables ~11.5%), and noted ongoing planning for additional generation and battery storage.
Next steps: Board members thanked Foster; follow-ups include rate-study work in January and continuing coordination on the CCR project, permitting and bonding timelines.
